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The story we had is a story that will never be once more.
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Taehyung

“Ye-Jun, it’ll be okay. Nothing’s going to happen to you, yeah?” I cradle my younger son’s head against my chest and softly stroke his head.

He has been running a high fever since last night, and the medicines just don’t seem to be helping for more than two hours. Once the effect of the anti-pyretic wears out, the fever and shivers return in full force. Needless to say that he hasn’t left my side since this morning.

We need to take him to his doctor later today, but today seems like some kind of doomsday where all the major happenings in all our children’s lives seem to be taking place simultaneously.

Areum’s high school graduation is today. Do-Woo’s basketball playoff is today. Ye-Jun’s high fever episode is also today. Maya has taken Do-Woo for his game, and Areum is staying with Jang-Mi until the weekend, so that leaves me with little Ye-Jun whose body is burning.

I have done sponging, applied a cold compress over his forehead, and have fed him the medicines and broth, too, but he is still hot and clingy, and I don’t think I should wait any longer to take him to the hospital.

Picking up my phone while balancing my son in my left arm, I place a call to Maya’s phone to let her know the change in plan.

“Taehyung, how’s Junie?” Maya asks worriedly as soon as she answers my call.

“Maya, I’m taking him to the hospital right now. His fever isn’t going down at all,” I gather the car keys and house keys as I talk to her, holding the phone between my jaw and shoulder.

“Did you give him half of the white tablet?” Maya checks anxiously while I pick up all of Ye-Jun’s medicines and his jacket on my way out.

“I did,” I confirm, and she lets out a tired breath.

“Taehyung, you need to go for Areum’s graduation,” she says softly, also sounding a little guilty.

“I should,” I answer briefly as I help Ye-Jun into his seat and buckle him up.

“The game just got over and I’ll be leaving with Do-Woo now. I’ll be there at the hospital as early as I can get there. You can leave once I come, okay?” Maya explains her plan.

“Maya, we’ll talk about it when you get there, but yeah, he has been asking for you. So, I’ll see you at the hospital,” I let her know as I take my seat and glance back at my son who seems so exhausted and sleepy.

“Okay, drive safe.”

“You too,” I say, ending the call thereafter and driving straight to the hospital.

The weather is freezing, but, luckily, it isn’t snowing today, and I hope it doesn’t, at least until we get back home.

Once at the hospital, the nurse takes Ye-Jun’s body temperature and asks us to wait for the doctor. In a few more minutes, we are called inside, and the doctor suggests that we get his blood tested for any other possible infection that could be causing this fever since this most definitely isn’t just a normal flu.

We leave the doctor’s room just when Maya and Do-Woo arrive, and Ye-Jun is already whining and on the verge of tears because he has to be pricked for drawing out a small amount of his blood.

He springs into her arms and clings onto Maya the moment he sees her, hugging her tight and resting his head on her shoulder as he mumbles weakly.

Softly caressing his head, Maya turns to look at me.

“Taehyung, what did the doctor say? He’s burning.”

“He prescribed these tests, but Junie is upset. Do you think he needs these? Could we maybe wait for a day or two?” I ask her anxiously, raking a hand through my hair.

“It has been three days already, and his fever isn’t going down at all. And he’s safe from seizures because of the tablet. I really think we should get him tested,” her words are followed by Ye-Jun’s weak cries in protest, but Maya only strokes his back comfortingly.

“Okay,” I push out a heavy and weary breath, “Let’s get it done then.”

“Taehyung, Areum’s graduation is in two hours, and you should go now. I’ll take care of Junie. You don’t have to worry,” Maya convinces me, and, after a while, I accept and leave because Areum’s graduation day is something that I cannot afford to miss.

It takes me almost an hour to head back home, change into better clothes and then reach Areum’s school, somehow managing to find a good spot to park my car.

Climbing out of my car, I lock it and begin walking towards the school building, outside which most of the parents are gathered in small groups despite the shivering cold weather.

Stuffing my hands deep inside the pockets of my padded parka coat, I stroll towards the groups of parents and wait alone in a corner. Jang-Mi would be here, too, but I’m not sure if she’s already here among the other parents or if she’s yet to arrive.

After sending a text message to Areum to let her know that I’m here, I return my phone back into my coat pocket. Since I have nothing better to do, I’m watching the cars that pass by and stop by to drop people for the graduation ceremony. My vision is occasionally fogged by the small cloud of condensation leaving my mouth.

A few minutes pass, and then Jang-Mi’s car pulls over close to the curb. Once it does, surprisingly, a man from the driver’s seat climbs out and opens the passenger side door to allow them to step outside. And when the door opens, Jang-Mi steps out of the car.

Shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I watch closely as she climbs out, fetching her purse thereafter and turning to look at the man with a broad smile that hasn’t shown up on her face for a very long time now.

He locks his car and takes her hand in his, walking her up to the school building as they talk and smile on their way. I’m pretty sure she will not notice me, and I even consider looking away like I hadn’t noticed them. But then she locates me in a flash, and her smile reduces a little when her eyes find mine.

I straighten up and give her a tight-lipped smile, that was somehow a little hard to muster up, and she does the same. Jang-Mi leans closer to him by just a fraction, saying something to him, and then the man’s eyes flick to look at me.

There’s suddenly a kind of nervousness that’s growing within me as I watch them approaching me, hand in hand. The emotion is unexplainable, but physically, it definitely feels like I swallowed a rock that’s now stuck midway between my throat and my stomach.

“Hi, Taehyung,” Jang-Mi greets me once they get closer to me.

“Hi,” I greet her back with a small, crooked smile, my eyes falling on the man next to her despite my mind compelling me not to look at him.

“Yoongi, this is Taehyung,” she says to him, “Taehyung, this is Yoongi,” she says to me, not bothering to explain who he is. And going by the way they’re still holding hands, I’m sure he is someone special, and I also have a feeling that he knows who I am, or at least who I was to her.

“It’s good to meet you,” Yoongi removes his hand from hers only when there’s a need to shake hands with me, but once done, he quickly returns it to hold her hand back, and the way he does it seems almost as if that’s where his hand belongs.

“Is Areum here already?” I ask her, and she nods her head a little in response.

“Yeah, I dropped her off earlier because she wanted to spend time with her friends,” Jang-Mi answers me briefly before turning her attention to Yoongi.

“Alright, I’ll see you later,” he locks gazes with her, holding both her hands in his hands and swiping his thumbs back and forth over her knuckles in smooth and deliberate movements. “Call me once you’re done, okay?” The smile he flashes makes Jang-Mi return it with twice the intensity while I stand by looking at their interaction.

I know I shouldn’t come across as a creep by staring this way, but it seems like my eyes aren’t interested in anything else at the moment.

They share a hug, a brief but intimate one, and I shift my weight between my legs, feeling that rock uncomfortably twisting within my chest. I most certainly have no residual feelings for Jang-Mi, and I’m sure she doesn’t either, but seeing her with another man is making it a little weird for me.

It surely isn’t jealousy that I’m experiencing, but it rather feels like a kind of nameless bittersweet emotion that’s a little difficult to process. Our history is a blur, but it isn’t a lie, after all.

Once Yoongi walks away, Jang-Mi turns to look at me, and we silently proceed to head inside to the ceremony hall. Parents of all the graduating students have been assigned specific seats, and ours is in the middle aisle, fourth row from the front.

The graduation ceremony progresses smoothly in a well-rehearsed manner without any technical or other unexpected glitches to interrupt the flow. The program begins with an inspirational speech delivered by the school principal and the student council president. This is followed by awarding of certificates to the students in the alphabetical order of their names, and Areum happens to be the third.

It feels like a dream to watch her walking up the stage backed by a loud applause from the gathering. She’s beautifully grown up, dressed in a graduation robe and hat, and receiving her certificate with a proud smile. A few drops of tears seep from the corners of my eyes when I witness this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

I click a few pictures of her on stage, and so does Jang-Mi. Turning to my side, I notice Jang-Mi drying her tears and then she turns to look at me, sending a small but contented smile my way, which I return naturally.

The tears and the smiles that accompany this moment in our lives are proof of all the struggles we’ve faced and sometimes even brought upon ourselves while being parents to our most precious child, Areum. She has been through a lot, and she has had a hard life growing up. But having her, loving her and raising her have been the most rewarding and cherished parts of our lives.

A while later, Jungkook, the boy I met many months ago when he was trailing behind Areum, receives his certificate with a big smile. My eyes try to locate Areum to see her reaction, but she isn’t around.

After the remaining students receive their respective certificates, a student delivers the thank you note, and then the crowd disperses. We both quietly head outside, and Jang-Mi wordlessly guides me to a certain spot, probably where she had decided to meet our daughter after the ceremony.

We stand beside one another in awkward silence for a few minutes, after which Areum skips her way up to where we’re waiting for her. Her skips turn into an exhilarated sprint when she sees us, and I welcome her with open arms and a huge grin that breaks into a laughter the moment I receive her in my arms.

“Congratulations, bubba. You made us so proud. I’m so happy for you,” I hold her tight and kiss the top of her head.

“Thank you, appa,” she smiles, pulling away and engulfing herself in Jang-Mi’s embrace.

Areum is a few inches taller than her mother, and it feels almost unbelievable how swiftly she has grown up. Jang-Mi holds her, kissing her cheeks even when her own cheeks are dripping with tears of joy.

Witnessing this sight makes my heart beat a little differently, and it makes me feel a complex mix of emotions, all of which I’m unable to label appropriately at the moment.

“Eomma, the three of us will be sleeping over at Min-Ji’s house after the movie. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.” Areum informs Jang-Mi, who nods her head in response while drying her eyes.

“Okay, bubba. Be safe. I’ll pick you up in the morning,” she says, earning a soft ‘okay’ from Areum.

“Appa, how’s Junie?” Areum turns to ask me.

“He’s still ill, and he’s getting his blood drawn today, but don’t worry. He’ll be okay,” I send a smile her way, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose.

“Blood tests for Junie?” Areum gasps. “Oh no,” her face grows sad.

“It’s nothing, bubba. He’ll be fine in a day or two,” I reassure her, lightly flicking under her chin.

She then leaves after a while, leaving Jang-Mi and I alone.

“What happened to Ye-Jun?” Jang-Mi asks me first.

“He’s been running a high fever for the past three days, and the doctor has advised some blood investigations.” I inform her briefly.

“Oh, I hope he gets better soon. Do you have some time or do you have to leave right away?” She asks me when we both turn around to look at each other.

“Maya is with the kids, so I do have some time,” our eyes are on each other, and a small smile forms on her lips upon hearing my response.

“Do you want to have a cup of coffee with me?” She asks me a question, a completely unexpected one that jars me.

“Sure,” I agree, nodding, already having a distant, faint vision of the topic of discussion that awaits us.

We then walk over in total silence to a coffee shop that’s nearby Areum’s school. Jang-Mi and I place our orders and take a seat by the window while our beverages arrive.

THIS is the reason for choosing the start date of Redamancy as the 6th of December. The first of two chapters with Taehyung’s POV falls on his birthday. Lol! Silly, I know. But it’s the best I could do on his birthday.
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Happy happy birthday to the LOML, my muse!
💞🥰😘🎂

Published on : 12/30/2024